IN FULL SWING NEW JERSEY THE GARDEN STATE OF GOLF

New Jersey has been known as the Garden State since 1876, when Abraham Browning of Camden shared his vision of the state as a giant barrel filled with good things to eat.

- STAN LEMOND

Although New Jersey remains renowned for its farms and gardens, there is another important aspect of New Jersey living that supports its botanical nickname — the state’s many amazing golf courses.

According to Kevin Purcell, executive director of the New Jersey State Golf Association (NJSGA), the Garden State is dotted with over 250 golf courses. From High Point to Cape May, New Jersey boasts an impressive assortment of golf facilities.

“The NJSGA works with 212 golf courses across the state,” Purcell explained. “There are probably another 50 or 60 small, privately owned courses with which we are not associated. The caliber of our beautiful golf courses alone could easily justify calling New Jersey the Garden State. New Jersey’s grounds superintendents do a wonderful job of keeping our beautiful courses in top condition and ready for all levels of play.”

Fans of verdant fairways and meticulously manicured greens will find some of the nation’s most prestigious golf courses in New Jersey. Camden County’s Pine Valley Golf Course is ranked first on Golf.com’s 2020 list of America’s Top 100 Courses. Designed in 1918 by George Crump and A.W. Tillinghast, this national treasure has been refined over the years with the input of such notable golf course architects as George C. Thomas Jr., Walter Travis, Hugh Wilson and Alan Wilson. Pine Valley is a private club only open to members and their guests.